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Technical Euro6 1.2 Throttle Response, Hill Start Issues & Watchdog report

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Technical Euro6 1.2 Throttle Response, Hill Start Issues & Watchdog report

shosgood said:
** ECU UPDATE **

Took just over an hour to apply new firmware/software to the ECU - there is a new code with the new firmware/software but I wasn't allowed to take a copy of this away, although he did show me the difference in codes. Apparently the paperwork is used for their warranty records and cannot be given out.

Anyway, the results....

Hugely improved throttle response on level take-offs and city driving
Second gear seems to "pick-up" better on low revs (sub 2000)
Hill starts are *massively* improved

From the first tests it seems that this update is about 95% there. Overall I am very impressed with it.

Just to add - the service technician said the service receptionist was incorrect with her previous statement.

There you have it chaps :)
Click to expand...

Good stuff. I said it would sort the issue and it did, it just took too ****ing long!
 
shosgood said:
Missing 5% is the irregularity of the "self-revving" clutch when in first gear. You have to be at a dead stop else it won't work - perfect example coming up to a junction in slow moving traffic (you're neither stationary or applying throttle to move forward).

Hope that makes sense?
Click to expand...


Not really, should the above say "either stationary"??
You mean if you leave it in first in traffic, and with foot off of clutch it won't "crawl" unless you apply a touch of gas?
 
Last edited:
shosgood said:
** ECU UPDATE **
Hugely improved throttle response on level take-offs and city driving
Second gear seems to "pick-up" better on low revs (sub 2000)
Hill starts are *massively* improved

From the first tests it seems that this update is about 95% there. Overall I am very impressed with it.
Click to expand...
Excellent news. :)

'bout time too.

Regards,
Mick.
 
dexydog said:
Not really, should the above say "either stationary"??
You mean if you leave it in first in traffic, and with foot off of clutch it won't "crawl" unless you apply a touch of gas?
Click to expand...

Coming from a car without the self-revving clutch there are points where I would expect the car the crawl - such as mentioned above when you're in slow moving traffic and you drop the clutch on the assumption of stopping and then bring the clutch back up to carry on - it's sometimes leaves me in a "lull" with no power until the throttle is pressed.

Maybe these are my unfamiliarities with it?
 
redgobofraggle said:
Ok, having done a Little testing last night with my Ford KA......

Firstly, I live in a very hilly region in the North east of England, so this should be relevant info.....

Driving normally round non hilly areas- car is extremely nippy. No problem pulling away etc.it drives like a dream when.compared to my 61 and 62 plate Ford KAs I have had.

Standard driving on hilly areas while moving- again, it beats both previous Ford HAs when.driving up some very steep hills, and I'm not having to downshift as much.

Hill start- the car sounds and feels like it's got the clutch bite point. Try and pull away, it sounds like it's going to stall, but it chugs away and then.picks up speed. If I try and compensate, the revs shoot up to 3000 rpm. It also seems to happen more if I have the handbrake on when hill starting. If I use the hill assist without using the handbrake, it still does it but not quite as much.

As it's only really steep hills where I usually rake the handbrake on, I'm not sure if this could be a factor and hill assist without the handbrake is controlling things differently.

Other than that as I say, the car beats previous years models easily, and certainly is not sluggish.
Click to expand...
Maybe your car hasn't got the exact problem then because on a very steep hill the 500 will either stall or if you can get it to pull off it will crawl up with your foot on the floor. It won't pick up speed until the hill levels off.
 
Maybe not, but I was led to believe that Ford had carried out some tweak early on to reduce most symptoms, but may be this is a residual.....
 
Super Uwe said:
Going slightly off topic, but the SMMT figures for 2014 are out now:
http://www.smmt.co.uk/2015/01/uk-new-car-registrations-december-2014/

Fiat registered 67,162 cars in the UK in 2014, of which 44,005 were 500s (making it the 9th most popular car in the UK for 2014). So it's still by far and away Fiat's best seller.

Even with the onset of this 1.2 problem, sales have still been holding up at around 3k per month since September 2014 (when the 500 was the sixth best selling car that month with 9,122 registrations).

December 2014 was fairly quiet, but it's hard to say whether that's just down to the time of the year, or if people genuinely are steering clear. We'll have to see what happens over the next six months I guess.
Click to expand...

How many 500's did they shift in December 2013? I had a brief look but couldn't see a breakdown by model.
 
Hello All.
I've just taken ownership of a fiat panda 1.2 on Monday and Yesterday we found similar problems trying to park and set off on a hill, almost crashing into the stationery car in front whilst burning out the clutch.

I have contacted the dealership three times over the past 24 hours to discover nobody able to take my call, but instead I get an email from the sales agent explaining that they have checked and the problem is with the Fiat 500 only and there is nothing wrong with the Panda, and it may take a couple of thousand miles for the engine to bed in and get better performance.

Can anyone confirm that there are similar problems with the Fiat Panda?

Many thanks.
 
GekeAlum said:
Hello All.
I've just taken ownership of a fiat panda 1.2 on Monday and Yesterday we found similar problems trying to park and set off on a hill, almost crashing into the stationery car in front whilst burning out the clutch.

I have contacted the dealership three times over the past 24 hours to discover nobody able to take my call, but instead I get an email from the sales agent explaining that they have checked and the problem is with the Fiat 500 only and there is nothing wrong with the Panda, and it may take a couple of thousand miles for the engine to bed in and get better performance.

Can anyone confirm that there are similar problems with the Fiat Panda?

Many thanks.
Click to expand...


Oh, my, actual, God.
Still they are denying it.
Yes it affects the panda also.
Take it the dealer and don't leave until they have applied the ecu update.
It's now available, someone here has just had it done and has improved his drive no end.
I really, really, can't believe this.
 
This is why I'm holding off going to my dealer yet because I know I'm going to get fobbed off.
 
shosgood said:
** ECU UPDATE **

Took just over an hour to apply new firmware/software to the ECU - there is a new code with the new firmware/software but I wasn't allowed to take a copy of this away, although he did show me the difference in codes. Apparently the paperwork is used for their warranty records and cannot be given out.

Anyway, the results....

Hugely improved throttle response on level take-offs and city driving
Second gear seems to "pick-up" better on low revs (sub 2000)
Hill starts are *massively* improved

From the first tests it seems that this update is about 95% there. Overall I am very impressed with it.

Just to add - the service technician said the service receptionist was incorrect with her previous statement.

There you have it chaps :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like good news!!

After speaking to our dealer, they confirmed they now have the update and it's booked in for the 17th January to be applied.

Fingers crossed it actually happens this time unlike my last visit :mad:
 
They have just agreed to look at the car, although maintain that they are not aware of the issues with the Panda. Just waiting for a date for them to look at the car.
 
GekeAlum said:
They have just agreed to look at the car, although maintain that they are not aware of the issues with the Panda. Just waiting for a date for them to look at the car.
Click to expand...

If that is their stance, take it to a different dealer.
Someone else just posted their dealer has the update confirmed and is booked in.
It absolutely applies to the panda also, so most likely they are going to fob you off.
 
Going to dealer in the morning to book car in for wiring recall and the 'update' ,I want to speak to them in person to ensure the update is available and don't get fobbed off over the phone.
 
Just phoned my dealer and they have not got any details of the update
yet. Will call Fiat cust' services later.
 
Went to dealer today,they said the update is not yet available for all cars at the moment,I will receive a letter when its available for our car.
 
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